Water proof elevated floor



13, 1966 F. N. RUSHTON ETAL 3,

WATER PROOF ELEVATED FLOOR Filed Oct. 30, 1963 H6.2 I /2 22 22 /2 (/////////////////l R\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\! k\ l\ \l 17 A INVENTORS Frederick N. Hus/#00 Rober/ 5. G/adde'n Jr.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,290,844 WATER PROOF ELEVATED FLOOR Frederick N. Rushton, Ellicott City, and Robert S. Gladden, Jr., Severna Park, Md., assignors to Washington Aluminum Company, Inc., Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Maryland Filed Oct. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 320,022 Claims. (Cl. 52-461) This invention relates generally to building structure, and more particularly it pertains to sectional flooring of the elevated type.

Elevated floors on pedestals :are becoming widely used for buildings housing electronic equipment that requires considerable underfloor wiring. Such floors are generally of formed metal sections which can be removed readily for access to the wiring. Because of the joints between sections, these floors are seldom washed by flooding because of the danger of water seepage therethrough onto the wires beneath.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a flooring section for an elevated floor of this category in which the joints between sections are sealed against leakage.

Another object of this invention is to provide an easily made and easily removed waterproofing joint between removable metal flooring sections which does not interfere with electrical contact section-to-section yet provides a cushioned caulking for covering tiles.

To provide a method and means for closing the joint between panel sections in readiness for the installation of a caulking strip, is yet another object of this invention.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sealing strip for metal joints in flooring which is flush and contiguous with the covering panels further sealing the edge contact thercbetween, said seal improving with use.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and single sheet of accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of four adjoining panels, the rubber insert being broken to show the sealing means incorporating features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view on line 3'3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view, greately enlarged, showing the double adhesive sealing means.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, reference indicates generally a joint between a pair of metal floor sections 12. These sections 12 are made up of a deck plate 14 welded to a formed pan 16 which is generally dimpled or otherwise sinuously convoluted for added strength.

The marginal portions 18 of the pan 16 extend beyond the edges of the deck plate 14 and are sharply upturned at their edges with a flange 20 which extends upward to the same height as the thickness of deck plate 14. A tile or covering 22 is cemented onto the deck plate 14 extending to the edges thereof.

When the sections 12 are abutted, the aforementioned flanges are thus in metal-to-metal contact and, therefore, electrically conductive one to the other. Without disturbing this contact, a seal is made to prevent water from entering by applying an adhesive strip 24 over the tops of the abutting flanges 20 and down their diametrically opposite sides as best shown in FIG. 4.

This strip 24 may be a tape of rubber, or plastic, or

3,290,844 Patented Dec. 13, 1966 even metal, coated on both sides with adhesive which may, if desired, be pressure sensitive for convenience in handling.

A rectangularchannel strip 26 of rubber or similar consistency material is then placed, channel downward over the adhesive strip 24 to embrace the upturned flanges 20 and tightly abut the edges of the tiles 22. The strip 26 is dimensioned so as to be flush with the tiles when so seated. Any tread weight on the joint 10 made in this way tends to cause the flanges 20 and the channel strip 26 both to firmly adhere to the adhesive strip 24.

It should be noted there now exists :a double cap seal over the abutting flanges 20: between sections 12 of the flooring consisting of first the adhesive strip 24 and then the channel strip 26. This provides a very effective deterrent against the entering of water yet the joint 16) is easily broken if a section 12 of the flooring is to be removed and easily restored without materials other than a fresh roll of the double-coated adhesive strip 24.

At the intersections of two joints as in FIG. 1 it is a simple matter to cut away the sides of one strip 24 (or 26) and the top of the other to form the crossover.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A waterproof joint for flooring sections, comprising, a pair of flooring sections each having a. bottom portion and a top portion terminating short of at least one edge of said bottom portion, said edge of each said bottom portion being positioned in edge-to-ed-ge contact with each other to form a joint between said pair of flooring sections and a groove between the top portions thereof, each said edge of said bottom portion having a flange spaced from its corresponding top portion and extending into said groove to form a pair of flanges therein, floor tile mounted on the outer surface of each said top portion and terminating at the edges thereof, a strip coated on both sides with adhesive positioned .across said pair of flanges to encompass said joint and thereby obtain sealing thereof, and a resilient channel strip positioned over said strip with adhesive and having a longitudinal channel in engagement with said pair of flanges, the top of said channel strip forming a smooth continuation of the floor tile mounted on said flooring sections.

2. The leakproof floor of claim 1, wherein the height of said pair of flanges extending into each groove corresponds to the height of said top plate.

3. A waterproof floor surface comprising a series of flooring sections each having a bottom portion, a topportion terminating short of the edges of said bottom portion, and floor tile mounted on the outer surface of said top portion and terminating at the edges thereof, said edges of each bottom portion being positioned in edge-to-edge contact with each other to form a joint between adjacent sections of said series of flooring sections and a groove between the top portions of said adjacent sections, said edges of each bottom portion each having a flange spaced from its corresponding top portion and extending into said groove between top portions of said adjacent sections to form a pair of flanges in each groove, a strip coated on both sides with adhesive positioned across said pair of flanges and along the outer sides thereof to encompass said joint and thereby sealing said joint, and a channel strip positioned over said strip with adhesive and 3 4 having a longitudinal channel in engagement with said References Cited by the Examiner pair of flanges, the top of said channel stri g forrning a UNITED STATES PATENTS I smooth co-ntmuahon of the floor tile of sa1d series of flooring Sections 433,500 8/1890 'Walbndge 52-465 X 4. The waterproof surface of claim 3, wherein the 5 1,723,307 8/1929 S1996 52465 X height of said pair of flanges extending into each said 2,101,612 12/1937 Duffy 52 468 groove corresponds to the height of said top plate. 2,405,643 8/1946 52' 471 X 5. The waterproof surface of claim 3, wherein said 2,830,683 4/1958 Gnflith 287-48936 X channel strip tightly abuts the edges of said top portions and said floor tile which form the outer sides of said 10 FRANK ABBOTT P'lmary Exammer' groove. R. S. VERMUT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A WATERPROOF JOINT FOR FLOORING SECTIONS, COMPRISING, A PAIR OF FLOORING SECTIONS EACH HAVING A BOTTOM PORTION AND A TOP PORTION TERMINATING SHORT OF AT LEAST ONE EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM PORTION, SAID EDGE OF EACH SAID BOTTOM PORTION BEING POSITIONED IN EDGE-TO-EDGE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER TO FORM A JOINT BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF FLOORING SECTIONS AND A GROOVE BETWEEN THE TOP POPRTIONS THEREOF, EACH SAID EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM PORTION HAVING A FLANGE SPACED FROM ITS CORRESPONDING TOP PORTION AND EXTENDING INTO SAID GROOVE TO FORM A PAIR OF FLANGES THEREIN, FLOOR TILE MOUNTED ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF EACH SAID TOP PORTION AND TERMINATING AT THE EDGES THEREOF, A STRIP COATED ON BOTH SIDES WITH ADHESIVE POSITIONED ACROSS SAID PAIR OF FLANGES TO ENCOMPASS SAID JOINT AND THEREBY OBTAIN SEALING THEREOF, AND A RESILIENT CHANNEL STRIP POSITIONED OVER SAID STRIP WITH ADHESIVE AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL CHANNEL IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PAIR OF FLANGES, THE TOP OF SAID CHANNEL STRIP FORMING A SMOOTH CONTINUATION OF THE FLOOR TILE MOUTNED ON SAID FLOORING SECTIONS. 